This recreation of Open House, 1972, is a work that, like much of Matta-Clark’s oeuvre, applies new meaning to abandoned and commonplace materials through the act of recycling. Originally located in the street outside 89 Greene Street (a second version was later installed outside 112 Greene Street), the dumpster held architectural fragments and construction-site detritus and was featured in Matta-Clark’s film of the same year, also titled Open House. In the film, the dumpster is converted into a makeshift living environment for the homeless. Made to function (physically and conceptually) outside of the commercial gallery system, and thus a critique of the value of art and commercial real estate, Open House represents Matta-Clark’s career-long desire to create a new way of seeing through the transformation of discarded objects into new works of art.
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Open House
1972/2007
Recreation of the original “Open House” between 98 and 112 Greene St, New York Loan Courtesy of MAMCO, Geneva Dumpster, wood, metal, drywall, recycled materials
Image Size: Overall: 10' 5 5/8 x 6' x 20'
GMCT3026
show full screen
1972/2007
Recreation of the original “Open House” between 98 and 112 Greene St, New York Loan Courtesy of MAMCO, Geneva Dumpster, wood, metal, drywall, recycled materials
Image Size: Overall: 10' 5 5/8 x 6' x 20'
GMCT3026
show full screen